


Reflections on a Broken Surface

by bluemoonmaverick



Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: Angst, Episode Related, F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-07
Updated: 2014-03-11
Packaged: 2018-01-14 21:08:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 13,177
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1278871
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bluemoonmaverick/pseuds/bluemoonmaverick
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Episode tag to Beneath the Surface.  My attempt to explain what happened before the beginning of the episode and especially how Jack and Sam became a couple.</p><p>**Sam & Jack Multimedia Awards Nominee - Best Tag (2014)**</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I always wanted to write a tag to Beneath the Surface, but there are so many good ones out there already, I was afraid it would seem duplicative. So, I tried what I hope is something a little different, telling the story in flashback. Enjoy!

Sam stepped through the event horizon onto the metal ramp and immediately held up a hand to shield her eyes from the harsh florescent lighting. The 'gate room, she reminded herself. She was in the 'gate room at Stargate Command.

She knew this was where she was supposed to be, that this was her home, but she couldn't help but feel a sudden sense of trepidation. Despite the fact that the planet she had just come from was in the middle of an ice age, it somehow felt colder here. Concrete and steel surrounded her, and she searched desperately for the warmth of an open brazier, until she remembered that such a crude heat source was not needed in this structure, where industrial air conditioners kept the temperature at a steady 72 degrees.

Still, she felt cold and more than just a little unnerved. Her eyes shot immediately to the man walking down the ramp beside her, and she had to restrain herself from reaching out to grab his hand. He wasn't Jonah, and they didn't hold hands. Not any more.

A portly man with a bald head spoke from the bottom of the ramp. "Welcome back, Colonel," he said. When he turned to address her, Sam felt instantly comforted. "Major."

Major. The title sounded so strange, so formal, yet she knew it was right. She was Major Samantha Carter, United States Air Force, and the man standing in front of her wasn't Homer; he was General Hammond, commander of this facility and - she remembered with sudden clarity - her godfather, though they didn't openly acknowledge that fact here.

"Sir," Jack responded crisply.

General Hammond continued. "I've put SG-3 in charge of coordinating the evacuation of the locals. I want you and Major Carter to get down to the infirmary and let Dr. Fraiser take a look at you. Dr. Jackson and Teal'c are already there. We'll debrief after you're done."

"Yes, sir," Jack answered again, and Sam wondered at his ability to slip so easily back into the trappings of military formality. She looked down at her hands. She wasn't sure it would be that easy for her.

As they began moving toward the exit, Hammond called after them. "And Jack?"

They both turned to face him. "Sir?"

"It's good to have you back." He smiled broadly, looking between the two officers. "Both of you."

Jack glanced ever so briefly at Sam before he responded, but his expression was unreadable. "Good to be back, sir," he said.

oOoOoOo

_15 Days Earlier_

She squinted as she opened her eyes and looked up at a kind face framed by dark hair. "Thera," the woman smiled down at her as she spoke, her relief palpable. "Glad to have you back."

"Where am I?" Thera asked, her voice rough.

"You're in the medical section of the plant. Do you remember who I am?"

The name came to her almost instantly. "Brenna?"

"That's right. You've been night sick, Thera." Brenna furrowed her brow a bit. "You had us worried."

"I...I feel fine." Thera sat up on the cot and immediately wished she hadn't, her head now beginning to throb. She rubbed her forehead with the heel of her hand. "I can't remember what I'm doing here."

"I'm not surprised. You had just transferred from the mines when you fell ill. You're probably more disoriented than most who recover from night sickness. Don't worry. It will all come back to you." Brenna stood and patted Thera on the shoulder. "You just concentrate on getting better. I'm anxious to have my new engineer back on the job." With one last smile, she turned to leave.

Thera lay back down on the small cot and stared at the ceiling. Something about this situation didn't seem right. She knew that she had been recently assigned to work group 4-B in the thermal plant's engineering section. She also knew that she had spent some time in the mines, but beyond that she was having trouble remembering much else about her life. Of course, temporary memory loss was a side effect of night sickness. She was certain that once she resumed her normal activities, the rest of her memories would surface.

She let out a long sigh. No time like the present, she thought. She sat up again, willing her headache away and looking for a medic who would clear her to return to work.

oOoOoOo

Jonah tried to focus on his gauges but his attention kept shifting to the woman with short, blond hair working on the master control panel. There was something about her that seemed familiar somehow, almost as if he knew her, perhaps even intimately. But that was impossible. Even with night sickness, he was certain he would remember someone so beautiful.

He nudged his co-worker Valik to get his attention. "Who's that?" he asked.

Valik followed Jonah's gaze to the blond woman. "She's new, like you. Just came up from the mines, I think. You don't know her?"

Jonah shook his head but continued to stare at the woman. She was tall and thin, and though it was hard to tell, she appeared to be hiding some curves under her bulky orange jacket. Her skin was fair and completely smooth, and even from where he was standing, Jonah could see that her large eyes were a striking blue.

Valik looked at his friend and chuckled. "Forget it, brother. She's way out of your league."

Jonah shrugged. "You never know..." he muttered.

"Oh, I know," Valik replied. "Look, she's an engineer. She's the brains. We're just the muscle. Besides, Aron tried talking to her earlier and couldn't even get her to look his way."

Jonah huffed. "Yeah, well, I've met Aron, and I'm betting his technique could use some work."

"Come on, Jonah. She's just like the rest of them. She thinks she's better than we are, that we're beneath her. You should give it up now, before you embarrass yourself." Valik turned back to his work, clearly done with the subject.

Jonah likewise resumed monitoring his gauges, though he continued to steal glances at the woman working at the control panel. He knew that the engineers didn't usually mingle with the operators, but he couldn't help thinking there was something different about her.

oOoOoOo

Thera was just starting to get accustomed to the control panel when, without warning, an alarm began to sound, sending both operators and engineers scurrying to discover the source of the problem. She examined the panel carefully, trailing her finger along the illuminated map representing the maze of pipes running throughout the facility. Within moments, she had identified the issue. She tapped the screen. "Here it is," she said to herself. She yelled in the direction of the operators, "It's the C-valve! The problem is with the C-valve at junction 182!"

Jonah watched her for several seconds, entranced, before he realized that the problem she had found was within his area of control. Chastising himself for his inattention, he quickly sprang into action, physically following the requisite pipeline to the junction housing the problematic valve. He immediately began turning the valve counterclockwise in an effort to release the rising pressure in the pipe.

It wasn't until she spoke that he noticed Thera had followed him. "I'm not sure that's helping," she said from behind him, causing him to jump and bump his head on an overhead pipe.

He scowled and rubbed his head. He hated surprises, even when they were as attractive as she was. "It'll work," he grunted as he continued to turn the valve.

"No," she insisted, "it won't. Here, let me fix it." With that, she attempted to move around him to get to the valve.

He immediately blocked her access. If there was one thing he hated more than surprises, it was being second guessed, and he was beginning to think Valik might be right about her after all. "Look, Barbie, I know what I'm doing." He had no idea where that name came from, but for some reason, it made him smirk.

His smirk disappeared, though, as a second alarm sounded, this one louder than the first.

"Apparently not," she retorted smartly, hands on her hips. She didn't know why, but it infuriated her that he had called her Barbie.

He spun around to face her fully, his face mere inches from hers. "Hey, I had everything under control until you got here!"

"Fine. Good luck with it then." She turned on her heel and began to walk off. She knew it was completely irrational, but it upset her greatly that he didn't trust her judgment. It was probably for that reason that before she had gone too far, she stopped and yelled at him over her shoulder, "And my name isn't Barbie!"

Jonah opened his mouth to reply, but at that exact moment, a third alarm sounded.

"D'oh," he muttered under his breath, as he frantically turned his attention back to the broken valve.


	2. Chapter 2

As Sam and Jack walked through the maze of corridors within the Cheyenne Mountain complex, several people in uniform passed, nodding to them and welcoming them back. Sam politely nodded in return. Even though their faces looked familiar, she couldn't remember any of their names, and she couldn't help but feel that she was horribly out of place.

She stayed as close to Jack as she could without actually touching him, letting him take the lead. At one point, Jack stopped to look around, and Sam realized he couldn't remember how to get to the infirmary. Apparently, he was having just as much trouble acclimating to their change in locale as she was. She quietly reminded him that they needed to take an elevator to get to the medical level. He just shook his head and turned in what she hoped was the right direction.

Thankfully, they managed to find the elevator bank. Better yet, when the doors opened, another officer was already inside, so all Jack had to do was ask him to punch the floor for the infirmary, and they were on their way.

They rode in an uncomfortable silence for a few moments before the elevator stopped and the other officer exited, leaving them alone in the car. As the doors closed and the elevator began to move again, Jack suddenly turned to Sam, his concern for her written all over his features. "Are you okay?"

She thought about the question for a few moments. No, she was most definitely not okay. Though she knew it made no sense whatsoever, all she wanted to do was return with him to the thermal plant under the ice. But that was not going to happen, and it was time for her pull it together. She took a deep breath and in her best dutiful subordinate voice replied, "Yes, sir."

He wasn't buying it for a second. He grasped her shoulders and pulled her ever so slightly toward him. "Sam..." he began earnestly. But at that exact moment, the doors to the elevator opened to reveal a busy hallway, full of people. He closed his eyes and let out a long sigh, then dropped his hands and gestured for her to proceed him out of the car.

They exited the elevator and continued walking the never ending corridors toward the infirmary. Though these hallways were both wider and brighter than those in the thermal plant, the similarities were striking. The thought made her shiver a little. Jack, apparently having picked up on her mood, let his hand graze hers as they walked.

She closed her eyes in an effort to keep the tears at bay, because even though she knew she didn't need him to protect her here, she also knew she could no longer take comfort in his touch.

oOoOoOo

_12 Days Earlier_

Thera glanced over at the pipeline interface and smiled to herself when she saw Jonah looking her way once again. He had been doing that quite a bit over the past few days, watching her when he thought she wouldn't notice. It occurred to her that his apparent fascination should bother her, but for some inexplicable reason it didn't; on the contrary, it seemed almost familiar. And even though he was a first class jerk who couldn't bother to get her name right, she couldn't deny that she was attracted to him on some level. He was tall, lean, and muscular, with a chiseled jaw and a cocky air that made her slightly weak in the knees, though she would never admit that out loud.

She quickly averted her gaze as he suddenly turned and headed in her direction. When he passed by her on the way to check a gauge, he paused and leaned in toward her. She immediately felt her heart rate increase as he placed his lips close to her ear. "Can't keep your eyes off of me today, hmm?" he whispered.

She flushed instantly. Apparently, she had not been as discrete in her observation of him as she thought. Though she was far more embarrassed than offended, she used the emotion to form an acerbic retort. "Oh, please," she scoffed. "You've been staring at me all morning."

He laughed. "Don't flatter yourself, Barbie. There's a clock over your head." He glanced upward.

Reluctantly, she followed his gaze and felt her cheeks redden even further when she saw that it was true; the time keeping device for their workstation was located above her. "Ooh!" she huffed in frustration, but he was already sauntering off, a large grin plastered on his face.

"Why do you even bother to talk to such rabble, Thera?" her co-worker asked in his nasal voice, as he continued to record readings from the control panel. "He's nothing more than a laborer. In fact, I'm going to speak to Brenna tomorrow about keeping the operators from working in such close proximity to the engineers."

Thera ignored him and focused instead on trying not to think about how that brief interaction with the handsome worker had left her flushed and slightly breathless.

oOoOoOo

As irritating as she was, Jonah couldn't shake the feeling that he had some duty to protect the pretty blond engineer, that she was his responsibility. Moreover, he had to admit that he kind of liked the thought. She was clearly smart, and despite her annoying intellectual arrogance, he admired her spunk. Plus, she was hot.

However, it was his inherent sense of duty that caused him to wait on her to finish working late that night. He just didn't feel right leaving her alone. Her coworker, that pencil-necked geek, had left hours earlier with barely more than a hasty goodbye, thinking nothing of leaving his female counterpart all alone in a remote area of the plant. So Jonah decided that it had fallen to him to make sure she got back to her bunk safely. The only problem was that she didn't seem to want to quit working.

He looked around their workstation. It was hours after the end of their shift, and everyone else had gone. Jonah sighed. He couldn't wait here all night. He determined it was time to take charge and tell her to wrap it up. He gave a passing thought to how much easier it would be if only he had the authority to order her to quit.

He approached her as she stood at the control panel. "Listen, it's really late. How 'bout we head back to the barracks?"

Thera raised her eyes briefly to his before looking back down at the display. "I'm not done." She was aware there had been instances of violence in other areas of the facility, particularly against women. Still, she refused to alter her behavior out of fear. She was working on a new process that would increase efficiency throughout the entire plant, and she wasn't ready to leave it just yet. Besides, she was still more than a little miffed at his earlier remarks and had no desire to give him further opportunity to tease her.

Jonah was not so easily dissuaded. "Whatever you're working on, it can wait until tomorrow. I don't feel right leaving you here all by yourself. It's dangerous."

She stopped what she was doing and looked up at him with a furrowed brow. "Well, that's very chivalrous, but I'm a big girl, and I can take care of myself."

He let out a sigh and rubbed the back of his neck. How obstinate could she be? "Look..." he began, but she cut him off.

"I'll take my chances."

He'd had enough. If she wanted to be by herself, so be it. "Fine. Have it your way, Barbie." He turned on his heel and stormed off.

Thera continued working for a little while longer before she noticed how utterly still it had become now that all of the other workers were gone. Somewhere in the distance, she heard what sounded like a piece of pipe hitting ground, and she jumped. Then she smiled and shook her head. Her imagination was getting the better of her, though this area of the plant was definitely more than a little creepy with no one in it.

Her mind made up, she shut down her control panel and began making her way back toward the barracks through the maze of dark corridors. As she walked the long, intersecting hallways, she didn't see a single person, and the only sound she heard other than her own footsteps was the occasional hiss of steam being released from the surrounding pipes.

Just as she was starting to rethink the wisdom of walking back to the barracks alone, she rounded a corner and stumbled upon three large men standing idle in a deserted alcove. They were barrel chested, with huge arms and grim faces. One of them held a long piece of pipe against his shoulder. They looked at her like a spider might look at a fly trapped in its web.

"Well what do we have here?" the largest of the three sneered.

The man with the pipe started moving in her direction. She immediately backed away. "What would you be doing here all by your lonesome this late at night?"

"We wouldn't want you to be lonely," said the third. "How 'bout you stay with us for awhile?"

Thera drew herself up and replied in a strong voice that belied her rising sense of panic, "No thank you."

The first man sneered again. "So polite. And so pretty. I bet you're real nice."

"I have to go," Thera replied, turning and walking quickly in the opposite direction.

"But you just got here," said the man with the pipe. He lunged forward and grabbed her roughly by the arm.

"Let go of me!" she yelled, as she tried to wrestle free of his grasp.

The second man laughed, though the sound contained absolutely no humor. "Looks like we've got a fighter."

The man holding her put his mouth by her ear, and his foul breath washed over her face. "You behave, now, and I promise things'll go much better for you."

"But I like a fighter," said the second man.

"Strip her," commanded the first, and Thera noticed that his sneer had been replaced by look of bloodlust.

"Let me go!" she screamed, terrified now.

The second man walked up to her as the first held her from behind. Roughly, he tore off her jacket, his eyes widening at the sight of her chest now covered only by the thin cloth of her undershirt. Taking advantage of his distraction, Thera brought her knee up hard, making contact with his groin, and he doubled over and fell to the ground.

"You bitch!" the man holding her yelled. He pulled her arms back further causing her to yelp. Just when she thought he was going to pull her arms out of their sockets, he cried out in pain and released his hold.

Thera flipped around, trying to figure out what happened, only to see Jonah take a swipe at the man's knees with the pipe he had been holding. The man yowled in pain. The third man, who had been watching up until that point, lunged toward Jonah with an almost feral growl. Thera kicked at him as hard as she could, but he simply pushed her to the ground with one hand.

Desperately, she looked at Jonah, only to discover that the other two attackers had apparently recovered sufficiently to target him as well. All three of the large men moved toward him, unbridled fury written on their faces. Jonah stood tall and readied his pipe, though he knew he was no match for all three.

Suddenly, the men stopped, a look of uncertainty crossing their features. They cast one last glance in Jonah's direction, then turned and ran.

Jonah, his expression smug, tapped the pipe in the palm of his hand. "Yeah, you better run!" he yelled after the retreating men.

Confused, Thera looked past Jonah only to see Tor standing calmly some distance behind him. Jonah followed her gaze to the huge man, who simply inclined his head and walked off.

"Huh," grunted Jonah before he turned his attention back to Thera. "You okay?" he asked her.

She nodded and accepted the hand he held out to her. He pulled her up, overestimating her weight, and she landed firmly against his chest. With nothing more than an undershirt covering her torso from the waist up, he couldn't help but notice that she did indeed have curves.

She was breathing heavily, her chest rising and falling against his. He immediately felt a spike of desire run through him, and he had to suppress an irrational urge to kiss her. After all, he thought, that would make him no better than her attackers. He cleared his throat and backed off a bit in an effort to regain some control.

"Thank you." She said simply. She turned to look for Tor to thank him as well, but he was already gone.

Jonah, seeing her intent, gave her a half smile and shrugged. "I had 'em, you know." She laughed, but his mood suddenly turned serious. "You need to report this to Brenna."

"I will," she replied. She cocked her head to the side and narrowed her eyes at him. "Where did you come from, anyway? I thought you left."

Jonah looked decidedly uncomfortable. The fact was, he had gotten half-way back to the barracks when he decided he wouldn't be able to sleep if he didn't make sure she was all right, so he had turned around to check on her. He had no explanation for why he had taken such an acute interest in the blond woman, and he had no idea how he was going to explain it to her.

"I...uh," he stuttered. "I forgot something at my station." He knew it was a lame excuse the moment the words left his mouth.

"Uh huh," she replied, skeptically. "You know," she said finally, "my name isn't Barbie..."

The cocky grin slowly returned. "I know. You're Thera." He held out his hand to her. "And I'm Jonah."

"Well, it's nice to formally meet you, Jonah," she smiled. "And thanks again."

Thera shook his hand and saw that it was the hand of a worker - callused, but large and strong and warm. As his hand enclosed hers completely, she was instantly overwhelmed by a sense of familiarity, as if she knew these hands, with their long, clever fingers, and had watched them before, manipulating some piece of equipment or other. She blushed as she wondered how his hands would feel touching other parts of her body, then looked up at him curiously, as the thought evoked a strong sense of deja vu.

As he continued to hold her hand in his, she knew with every fiber of her being that she could trust this man and that he would do everything in his power to protect her, even though she'd only just met him. The thought both confused and excited her.


	3. Chapter 3

The moment Sam and Jack walked into infirmary, Sam felt her level of apprehension rise. She unconsciously moved closer to Jack. The place was bustling with activity, the doctors and nurses working quickly to prepare for the refugees from the planet. In a far corner, Daniel and Teal'c sat on the edge of their beds as Dr. Janet Fraiser spoke to them in hushed tones. Daniel looked over Janet's shoulder and acknowledged the officers with a nod and a smile.

Just as they began to make their way toward their teammates, Sam was approached by a nurse she did not recognize who attempted to lead her to a different room. "This way, Major," she said insistently, when Sam made no move to follow her.

Before she fully appreciated what she was doing, Sam grasped Jack's arm, having no desire to be parted from him. He looked down at her and gave her a soft smile before placing his hand over hers and giving it a squeeze. Instantly, she remembered where and who she was, and she immediately released his arm. "Sorry, sir," she mumbled and ducked her head.

Sam closed her eyes and swore silently. She couldn't believe she had slipped like that in the middle of the SGC infirmary. She had to be more cautious about her interactions with Jonah - no, Jack. Sensing someone watching her, she glanced up, only to see Daniel quickly look away, pretending not to notice her blatant breach of decorum. She wondered for a moment whether he and Teal'c knew just how close she and Jack had become on the planet.

"I think we'd prefer to stay in the same room, doc," Jack said to Janet as she walked their way.

Janet, having witnessed the exchange, agreed without hesitation. "That would be fine, Colonel. You can take these beds here," she said, indicating the beds nearest Daniel and Teal'c. "I can't tell you what a relief it is to have you back," she continued. "You had us worried."

As the two officers situated themselves on the beds, the petite doctor approached Sam first, significantly concerned about her gaunt appearance. She began to question her under the watchful eye of her commanding officer.

"How are you feeling, Sam?" she asked as she moved her penlight from one eye to the other.

Dr. Janet Fraiser, Sam thought to herself. The base's chief medical officer and her best friend. "I'm fine, Janet," she replied.

Janet smiled. "You remember my name. That's a good sign. How's the rest of your memory?"

"Spotty," Sam admitted. "But it's starting to come back."

"Good. Can you take off your jacket?" Sam complied, and Janet had to stifle a gasp. Even though her shirt, she could tell that Sam was emaciated. "Lie back," she instructed softly. Once Sam was prone and she lifted her shirt, Janet could see every one of her ribs. She began palpitating her abdomen. "You've lost a significant amount of weight, Sam. Did you eat?"

Sam shrugged. "The conditions there were pretty harsh. I don't think any of us got a lot to eat."

"Carter had the worst of it, doc," Jack volunteered from the opposite bed.

Sam shot him a warning glance. "Sir..."

"Don't let her convince you otherwise," he continued. Jack looked down at his hands. Damn it, he thought. She was skin and bones. He should have made sure she ate enough.

oOoOoOo

_11 Days Earlier_

Kegan watched as Brenna and Thera spoke together outside of Brenna's office. She was too far away to hear what they were saying, but she had a pretty fair idea. Ever since she got here, the tall blond had been sucking up to their foreman, offering crazy ideas for improving their performance and worming her way into the boss' good graces.

Thera and Brenna ended their conversation, and Kegan kept her eyes glued to the engineer as she walked down the steps from Brenna's office and onto the plant floor, finally passing by Kegan's workstation. Thera kept her gaze straight ahead, not even so much as glancing her direction. But then, Thera didn't bother to interact with any of the operators, save one. Kegan continued to glare at her as she smiled at Jonah, who watched her exit with a bemused look on his face.

Kegan rolled her eyes and turned back to her work. "She needs to watch herself," she grumbled.

"Who?" Karlan asked, keeping his eyes on his gauges.

Kegan whirled around to face him. "Thera," she replied vehemently. "She thinks she's better than the rest of us because Brenna listens to her. And that kind of thing doesn't go over well here."

Karlan suspected that Kegan's real problem with Thera was that she had found a problem with one of the valves Kegan had supposedly repaired, and Brenna had made her work double shifts to fix it.

Karlan shrugged. "Maybe she's just shy. I didn't talk to many people when I first got here."

He knew that introversion was often mistaken for arrogance. Like Thera, he had also found it difficult to fit in with the other workers when he first arrived. Fortunately for him, Kegan had befriended him and shown him around, introducing him to others and providing the companionship he had so desperately been missing. Under other circumstances, Karlan wondered if he and Thera might be friends, but given the level of disdain his closest friend had for her, he doubted he would ever find out.

"Trust me, you're nothing like her, Karlan," Kegan spat.

Recognizing the need to disarm Kegan before she became even further agitated, he gave her a wide grin. "Well, I was lucky enough to meet you."

Kegan smiled and took a quick look around before leaning in and giving Karlan a quick kiss. "I wish we had time for more," she whispered seductively.

Karlan returned her smile, but he knew they would have to wait until much later, when they could sneak away from the plant. After all, their supervisors had made it very clear that personal relationships were strongly discouraged among the workers.

oOoOoOo

Thera waited patiently in line for her dinner, but let out a groan when she saw who was doling out the food tonight. For some reason unknown to her, Kegan seemed to hate her, though she had no idea what she could have done to offend the young woman. Sure enough, by the time Thera reached the front of the line, all of the bread had mysteriously disappeared.

"Any more bread, Kegan?" she asked.

"Sorry, we're all out," she responded coolly.

Thera took a deep breath. "You know, it seems highly unlikely that you would happen to run out of bread three days in a row, just as I reach the front of line."

"Are you calling me liar?" Kegan snapped.

For a split second, Thera was tempted to respond in the affirmative and have it out with woman once and for all. She was fairly sure she could take her easily in a fight, though she sensed that their exchange was being scrutinized closely by the other workers. Better to let it go for now, she thought, though she resolved that if it happened again, she wouldn't hesitate to take the bread by force if necessary.

She stalked off and looked for a place to sit down and finish her meager meal. As her gaze swept the room, she realized she didn't know any of these people. "Just like the new girl in the school cafeteria," she mumbled to herself, though the memory attached to the words was fleeting.

She shook her head to clear it, and that was when she finally saw someone she recognized. She smiled and made her way toward the handsome worker.

"Is anyone sitting here?" she asked Jonah.

He looked up from his bowl, momentarily startled by her unexpected appearance. He grinned and gestured to the open space beside him. "You are." Thera sat down and began eating. After a moment, Jonah spoke. "Did you talk to Brenna?"

"Yes." Thera wiped her mouth with a paper napkin. "They caught the guys, but she's pretty sure they're only a small part of a larger group that's been causing trouble throughout the facility."

"Well, you should still be careful then," he replied. "No more late nights."

His last statement came out like an order, and Thera couldn't resist teasing him a bit. "Yes, sir!" she replied, but his look told her that he was not amused. Before he could protest further, she held up both hands. "No, you're right. Sorry." She sighed. "It's too bad, too, because I think I'm close to figuring out a way to increase overall efficiency in the plant."

"Oh?"

"Yes, it's really fascinating." She sat forward a bit, warming to her subject. "I've determined that if we set up an automatic release valve on each of the stabilizers in sections 243 and 256, we could vent the excess pressure in those sections. You see, we could then control the flow of steam to the upper vents and..." she trailed off, realizing that his attention had wandered. "You're not really listening to me, are you?"

He snapped his head around to face her. "Oh yeah. Sure I am. Fascinating."

Immediately, a vision of the two of them seated at a small table in a large, bright room flashed in her mind. They were wearing strange clothes and eating food off of trays. She was holding a spoon over a glass full of some blue substance, and she remembered a feeling of fond frustration with the man sitting across from her. As quickly as the vision popped into her head, though, it was gone.

She furrowed her brow. "You know, something about this seems familiar."

"What seems familiar?" he asked, scraping his bowl clean.

"Us. Talking like this over a meal." Thera leaned forward and lowered her voice. "Can I ask you a strange question?"

"Um, sure," he replied, though he didn't look very certain.

"Have you ever seen blue food?"

Jonah laughed. "You mean it comes in a color other than beige?"

Of course there was no such thing as blue food, thought Thera. And yet the memory seemed so real, particularly her emotions concerning the man sitting next to her. "You know, it's strange...I just feel like I know you already, that we've done this before."

"Well, you came from the mines, right? I used to work there, too. Maybe we met and just don't remember," Jonah suggested.

"Maybe..." Thera replied, but she wasn't so sure. They were quiet again for awhile, and Thera finished the last of her food.

"So do you have any family?" Jonah asked.

It occurred to Thera that she must still be suffering the effects of the night sickness, because she couldn't immediately remember her parents, though she did know that they were no longer in her life. "Um, my mother died when I was little. My father didn't hang around much after that."

"Sorry."

Thera shrugged. She missed her parents terribly, but she had made peace with the situation long ago. "How about you?"

Jonah was completely unprepared for the level of emotion that overwhelmed him. He couldn't explain it, but he knew with absolute certainty that he had no family, and that fact was unbelievably painful to him. "No. No family."

"There's a lot I can't remember about my life before I got here," said Thera, as though she had read his mind. "I got night sick right after I transferred."

Jonah furrowed his brow. "That's weird. I was night sick, too."

"Well, for all we know then, we might have been best friends back at the mines, and we just don't remember."

"Just friends, huh?" he asked suggestively, before he could stop himself. Thera blushed, making Jonah grin, though the thought that they might have been on more intimate terms at some point brought all kinds of illicit images to his mind. Realizing that he needed to get back into safer territory, he gestured toward her empty plate. "Didn't you get some bread?"

She looked slightly uncomfortable. "Oh, no. I didn't get any."

"Not hungry?"

"No. It's, um...Kegan doesn't like me." She shrugged again.

"Well, I can't understand why not. I like you." Realizing how that sounded, he tried to recover. "I mean, I like - like you, like a friend." Real smooth, he thought.

But Thera now had a twinkle in her eye. "Just a friend, huh?" she teased.

And he was back in dangerous territory once again. Jonah cleared his throat and stood up quickly. "I'm gonna get you some bread."

"No, wait, Jonah," she pleaded. "Please. It's not a big deal."

"It is if you're hungry."

She tugged on his jacket. "It'll only make things worse."

Reluctantly, he sat back down. "Here, take mine then." He held out his last piece of bread to her.

"Are you sure?"

"You need it more than I do."

As he passed her his bread, her fingers brushed his. She looked into his eyes, and the tenderness she saw there almost made her heart stop. It also confirmed her suspicion that there was far more to him than good looks and a sharp tongue.

"Thank you," she said quietly.

He smiled. "You're welcome."

Looking at her, he suddenly felt something much deeper than physical attraction, something he couldn't place, and he wondered if maybe they really had been more than friends in some other life.


	4. Chapter 4

Sam turned the shower on as hot as it would go and stepped into the pounding stream. She smiled as she placed her head under the nozzle and let the water run through her hair, over her shoulders, and down her back, washing away the deep layer of grime that the lukewarm trickle she'd had on the planet was unable to completely vanquish. This was one thing she remembered well - the near ecstasy of taking a hot shower after a long mission; and it had been the first thing to make her willingly leave Jack.

As she began washing her hair, her thoughts wandered back to her medical examination. It had been well over an hour before Janet had finally released her from the infirmary to shower and change. She'd been poked and prodded and stuck so many times, she was surprised she wasn't black and blue. As rough as the physical examination had been, though, it was the routine post-mission interview that had been the source of most of her discomfort. Even now, the questions caused her stomach to knot, or at least one in particular. _Did you suffer an injury or illness? Were you exposed to hazardous materials? Did you ingest any unusual substances? Did you consume drugs or alcohol? Did you engage in sexual activity?_

She had been concentrating on each question, answering to the best of her recollection, and hadn't foreseen the last one, despite the fact that she'd been through the same routine a hundred times before. Jack, on the other hand, had been waiting for it, his eyes boring into hers from his position on the opposite bed. When Janet asked the last question, Sam had paused ever so slightly before responding. It had taken every ounce of her self control not to look at Jack before finally answering in the negative. She'd thought Janet might push her a little, but the petite doctor had simply looked up at her briefly, then moved on.

Sam shook her head to clear it. The exam was over now, and she decided her time was better spent simply enjoying her shower. However, as she ran her hands over her body, she was startled to realize that she didn't recognize her own form. She could feel her clavicle, her ribs, and her hip bones, all more pronounced than she could ever remember. The feeling of her hands sliding over her skin reminded her of how another pair of hands had touched her in some of the same places. She wondered if he had noticed how thin she was. If he had, he certainly hadn't complained.

She was feeling flushed now, and she knew it was more than the warm shower. Damn it! She couldn't think about him - about _that_ \- anymore. _It was forbidden._ She let out a long sigh and fought back the tears that threatened to fall. How could she erase the memory of his touch? She still wanted him, his soft lips kissing her face and neck, his gentle hands roaming her body and holding her firmly to him...

For a fleeting moment she wondered what would happen if she went back to Janet and told her everything. But she dismissed the thought almost as soon as it entered her mind. Janet would either have to relate Sam's story to Hammond or be complicit in covering up all that had happened on the planet. So instead, Sam simply leaned her forehead against the tiles and turned the handle on the shower to cold.

oOoOoOo

_8 Days Earlier_

Jonah scowled as he watched the new worker, Solan, approach Thera for the third time that afternoon. He was fat and balding and not the least bit attractive, but he was both an engineer and a good ten years younger than Jonah, and he'd been hovering around Thera for the past two days, looking for any excuse to be near her and place his pasty hands on her shoulder or arm. Each time he did so, Thera would move away, a fact that made Jonah feel ridiculously relieved.

He smiled, thinking over the events of the last few days. He and Thera had been spending an increasing amount of time with each other, eating all of their meals and walking to and from their workstations together. She had even found another worker who had agreed to trade bunks with her so that she could sleep in his unit. He chuckled, recalling when she'd told him that she'd arranged for them to sleep together; he'd nearly choked on his dinner.

The fact was, Jonah was attracted to Thera on levels he couldn't fully explain. All he knew was that he wanted to spend every waking moment with her, and the need to touch her was becoming overwhelming. In fact, thoughts of doing just that were starting to invade his non-waking moments as well, making for some interesting mornings.

So far, he'd done nothing more than hold her hand, but she'd seemed pleased with that, so he had decided it was time to find out if she was interested in taking things a little further. As it so happened, there was a party planned for that evening, and he had every intention of asking her to accompany him. But when the whistle marking the end of their shift blew, he saw that Solan had once again descended upon her.

Jonah inched toward the control panel, taking up a position just below it, out of sight of the engineers working there. Though he pretended not pay any attention to them, he could hear every word they were saying.

"Come on, Thera. Why not?" Solan whined.

"I told you," Thera replied, clearly exasperated. "I have no interest in listening to your theories on thermal dynamics over dinner."

Solan's tone turned nasty. "It's that operator, isn't it? What's his name? Jonas? I don't know why you like him. Honestly, Thera, he's beneath you. You deserve better."

Jonah felt his hackles rise. But before he had the chance to do anything, Thera whirled around to confront the pasty-faced engineer. "You have no idea what you're talking about," she hissed. "I think it would be better if you left."

"Fine, Thera. But when you realize that he's incapable of stringing more than three words together, you let me know." With that, he stormed off.

Jonah walked casually around the control panel to find Thera still fuming. "What was that all about?" he asked, as he approached her, attempting as much nonchalance as he could muster.

"That was nothing," she replied definitively.

"Good." He reached down, grabbed her hand, and gave her a half grin. "Wanna go to a party?"

She relaxed and beamed up at him, interlacing her fingers with his. "I'd love to."

oOoOoOo

Jonah pulled Thera by the hand through yet another narrow passageway. They had been walking for some time now through parts of the plant she didn't even know existed, and it occurred to her that she would never be able to find her way back on her own. If she had been with any other man, that might have troubled her, but she knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that she could trust Jonah. He smiled at her. "Almost there."

Sure enough, within the next few minutes, she heard music and laughter. "Why are we so far away from the main part of the plant again?" she asked.

"Um, this party isn't exactly sanctioned," he admitted.

She had no opportunity to respond, though, as they had reached their destination. Jonah pulled back a sheet covering a small entryway, and Thera gasped, overwhelmed by the sight that greeted her.

Behind the curtain was a large, open area, packed with people. Most were operators, though Thera recognized a few engineers, as well. The space was hazy, presumably from whatever several of the people were smoking. It was also dim, the only light coming from a handful of braziers spaced around the perimeter. Despite the lack of a significant heat source, it was warm as well, and almost everyone had shed their jackets.

Jonah was still holding Thera's hand, and he pulled her gently into the room behind him. Once inside, he shrugged off his jacket and placed it in a pile in a corner. Thera hesitated for only a second before following suit. Someone pushed two cups into Jonah's hands, and he handed one to Thera, who took a sniff and wrinkled her nose. "Moonshine?" she asked with raised eyebrows. "There's a still back here?"

He shrugged. "You'd be surprised what you'd find tucked away in this plant."

Thera didn't doubt it. She knew people had claimed abandoned parts of the plant as their own, whether to have some personal space or some much desired privacy with a partner. In fact, as she looked around the room, she saw that several people had paired off and were disappearing together down dark passageways. She glanced briefly at Jonah and took a large swig of her drink.

As the beverage burned its way down her throat, she continued to look around the room. In one corner, a large group of people were gathered around a game of dice. In another, the makeshift band was gearing up to play another song. She wondered for a moment where they had gotten their instruments but forgot all about her query the moment they launched into a lively tune and the crowd around her began to move in time to the music.

Still holding Thera's hand, Jonah maneuvered her out of the fray. As he worked his way through the crowd, he stopped to introduce her to several people, holding her hand or draping his arm over her shoulders or around her waist the entire time. Thera reveled in the contact. For some reason, it felt exciting and illicit for him to touch her that way.

As the band started yet another song, Jonah leaned down and whispered in her ear, "Do you dance?" She nodded, and in the next second he was whisking her across the dance floor, her feet barely touching the ground. He spun her around, making her laugh uncontrollably, and she wasn't sure whether it was the dancing or the drink that had gone to her head.

The band continued to play, though the next song was much more subdued. Jonah gently pulled Thera closer to him and began moving with her slowly to the music. Tentatively, she put her head on his shoulder. She couldn't help but notice the hard planes of his chest under one hand and his firm bicep under the other. A thrill of desire shot through her as they moved more intimately together, his hand pressed into the small of her back, his hips swaying with hers. The song ran on, and he leaned down and buried his face in the crook of her neck. She shivered with pleasure as the sensation of his warm breath on her skin sent chills up and down her spine.

_This is forbidden!_ The words flashed through her mind, and an inexplicable sense of dread consumed her. She pulled back from him, and he looked down at her with a puzzled expression. "Are you okay?"

Was she? She wasn't so sure. Her competing emotions had her mind in turmoil. She was torn between wanting him and knowing that she couldn't have him, though she could not fathom for the life of her why not. Surely this wasn't about the rules against relationships between co-workers? They didn't seem to trouble anyone else. Why should they bother her?

She needed time to think. "I'm sorry, Jonah," she said, clearly flustered. "Do you think we could go back to the barracks?"

He nodded once and immediately began moving with her toward the exit.

oOoOoOo

They walked back to the barracks in silence, hand in hand. Thera was afraid if she looked at him or even spoke to him, she would be lost, though she couldn't understand why the thought of succumbing to her desire scared her so. As it was, she was barely able to contain herself. Her skin still tingled where he'd trailed his fingers across her back and down her arms as they'd danced, and his scent permeated her senses, heady and masculine and slightly dangerous.

The barracks were just around the corner now, and Thera didn't know whether to feel distraught or relieved. Before she had an opportunity to think further on the issue, though, Jonah pulled her into a small alcove and placed his hands on her shoulders. He didn't say anything but simply stared into her eyes. Thera's heart threatened to beat out of her chest, and when he reached up to cup her cheek, she gasped. "Thera," he whispered, her name both question and statement.

He leaned in, pausing for a moment to give her the opportunity to move away, but when she didn't, he closed the distance between them and pressed his lips gently to hers. Without conscious thought, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him even closer to her. As the kiss intensified and his tongue met hers, she felt a rush of desire overwhelm her once again. She sighed into his mouth.

Taking his cue from her reaction, he moved his lips across her jawline, behind her ear, and down her throat, while his hands sought the bare skin of her torso under her jacket and shirt.

Oh, but she was his now, and somewhere in the back of her mind it occurred to her that she might not be able to stop this even if she wanted to.

He inched his hands slowly up her body, stopping at a point just below her breasts. Hesitantly, he brushed his thumb over one erect nipple, causing her to shudder and moan. With that, he pulled her fully to him, pressing his body to hers, and she could feel that his desire matched her own.

Thera knew that she was on the verge of losing all control, and she suspected Jonah was as well. _This is forbidden!_ The thought flashed unexpectedly in her mind for the second time that night. She had no explanation, but she immediately understood that she had to stop now, before they did something they would later regret. Suddenly, she pulled away.

"Thera?" He looked at her through glazed eyes, his confusion apparent.

"I'm sorry," she panted, one hand on his chest. "I'm so sorry." She wanted to cry, or scream. She wanted him desperately - somehow she had always wanted him - but something was holding her back, something she couldn't explain. "I...I can't," she whispered.

Jonah released his hold on her immediately. He held up both hands and backed away, shaking his head. He'd always known that he was beneath her, that she was out of his league. Someone like her could never want to be with someone like him. She deserved better - an engineer, maybe, or a foreman, not a mere operator. He should never have tried to woo her. He'd known better.

"No, I'm the one who's sorry," he mumbled as he began to walk away.

"Jonah!" she cried out. She had to make him understand, but she didn't know how, since she didn't understand herself. He stopped and turned slowly toward her. "Where are you going?" she asked.

He shrugged. "To take a cold shower." And with that, he stalked off, leaving her alone in the dark alcove.


	5. Chapter 5

Dr. Janet Fraiser bounced her foot nervously as she sat waiting for General Hammond to join her in his office. She had just finished examining SG-1, and the General had demanded an immediate report. She debated how much she should tell him. Relaying the medical condition of each team member was the easy part; it was her indecision regarding how much to share about their emotional state - particularly that of the military members of the team - that was making her uncomfortable.

Before she had an opportunity to dwell further on the matter, though, Hammond opened the door to the office and strode in. Janet started to rise, but the General immediately motioned for her to keep her seat. As he settled himself in his large leather chair, he looked expectantly across the desk at his CMO. "So how are they doing, doctor?"

Janet took a deep breath. "Well, not surprisingly, they're all still experiencing some confusion and memory lapses, but they should make a full recovery." She sat forward in her chair a bit as she prepared to relate her medical findings. "Teal'c has been affected the least; I believe his symbiote protected him for the most part, and the mind stamp didn't seem to fully take, probably due to his alien physiology. The Colonel and Dr. Jackson appear to be fairing well, and physically they are both fine. Colonel O'Neill did have some burns on his left arm, but they are mostly healed. Major Carter lost a significant amount of weight, but I don't think she'll have any trouble putting it back on. Otherwise, they seem to to be in good health."

"What about psychologically?" Hammond asked.

Leave it to Hammond to get straight to the point. She let out a small sigh. This was the discussion she was dreading. "Teal'c seems to be doing well, though it's always hard to tell with him. Dr. Jackson is a little embarrassed about a relationship he developed with a local woman there, but I think he'll get over it."

"And Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter?"

"Well," Janet started, pausing for a moment as she carefully thought through her next statement, "I'm not a psychologist, sir, but I'd say they're suffering from depression."

"Depression?" he asked, not bothering to mask his surprise. Of all the things he thought she'd say, that was at the bottom of the list.

"Yes, sir. Dr. Jackson told me that the two of them were extremely close on the planet, even though they were stamped with other personalities and had no memory of their real lives." She paused for a moment to let that sink in. "Without the barrier of their reporting relationship..." she trailed off, reluctant to finish that thought.

But Hammond, who didn't miss a thing, finished it for her. "You think they might have crossed the line." It was more statement than question.

She sat forward now, needing him to understand the entire context of her opinion. "They both denied any sexual activity while on the planet, but...off the record, sir?" Hammond nodded. "I have no way of knowing whether they're telling me the truth. Plus, even if there wasn't a physical relationship, I think it's clear they became much closer than their reporting relationship would allow."

"What makes you think that, doctor?"

Janet shifted in her seat, growing increasingly uncomfortable with this line of questioning. She had a great deal of respect for Colonel O'Neill, and Sam was her best friend. She knew how they felt about each other and the lengths they'd gone to not to let those feelings interfere with their professional lives. She really didn't want to be the one to destroy all of their hard work. But she also respected General Hammond. He was her commanding officer, and he had asked for her opinion.

"Still off the record, sir?" He inclined his head. "Ever since the zatarc incident, they've been careful to keep their feelings for each other well hidden, from themselves as much as anyone else. But earlier, in the infirmary, their behavior...it was completely unguarded. The way they looked at each other...I've never seen them like that before. They weren't interacting as supervisor and subordinate, more like..." She hesitated again, not wanting to indict them.

Hammond looked at her intently. "Doctor?"

"More like a couple, sir."

Hammond figured that was where she was going, but it made his life significantly more difficult. "Do you think they can return to a strictly professional relationship?"

"Maybe. They've done it before. But if they were...involved on the planet, it may take some time for them to come to terms with the fact that they can no longer be together."

Hammond sat back and considered what she'd told him. He'd known Jack and Sam had developed feelings for each other, but he'd been confident, at least until now, that they'd been able to put their duty first. He'd always assumed that they would let him know when it had become too much. Now he wasn't so sure. Maybe it was time for him to make the call. But then, he'd always had faith in their judgment, and perhaps he could find some middle ground.

His mind made up, he looked up at Janet, who was anxiously awaiting his response. "I appreciate your candor, doctor, and frankly, I think you may be right. Still, I hate to split up my flagship team based on speculation about what might have happened on that planet. Let's get them over to MacKenzie. If he clears them to return to the field, then I'm willing to let things lie for now."

"Yes, sir," Janet responded, her relief evident.

oOoOoOo

_5 Days Earlier_

Thera watched Jonah through lowered lashes from her position behind the console. He had been resolutely avoiding her ever since the night of the party. She had attempted to speak with him on a couple of occasions, hoping to clear the air, but he had firmly, though politely, put her off.

The whole thing made her heart ache. She missed him terribly. Most frustratingly, she still couldn't explain her hesitation to explore a romantic relationship with him, not that it mattered much now. He had made it clear that he was done pursuing her. In fact, for the past two nights, he hadn't slept in his bunk, and she wondered where he had gone. The thought that he might be with another woman made her sick to her stomach.

A flashing red light on the console shook Thera from her thoughts. She sucked in a breath when she saw the magnitude of the problem. "Clear section 8-B!" she screamed. But it was too late. Before the words had completely left her mouth, the plant was rocked by a massive explosion. Thera grabbed at the console to avoid being thrown to the ground.

All around her alarms were blaring and people were screaming. She immediately began searching for Jonah and had to fight back a rising sense of panic when she couldn't find him. Quickly, she made her way onto the plant floor. Workers were pouring out of the impacted section, many dragging others with them. Thera's stomach clenched when she saw that several were badly burned.

Suddenly, someone grabbed her from behind. "We've got to leave! The other section's going to blow!" yelled Solan.

"But there are still people down there!" she screamed back at him over the din. "If we can open up the C valves, we might be able be able to prevent another blow out!"

"It's too late! Those people are dead already!" Solan's voice had taken on a panicked edge, and he was already backing away from her.

"Solan! I need your help!" she yelled after him desperately, but he simply turned and ran.

Thera fought back her fear and forced her way into the chaos. She felt like a salmon swimming upstream, trying to get to the heart of the plant as everyone else was desperately trying to evacuate. The plant's sprinkler system had activated, and she was drenched. Even worse, the water hitting the overheated pipes was causing steam to blanket the area, making it difficult to see. But she knew that if she didn't locate and release enough valves, the entire plant could go. Blindly, she felt her way forward.

Finally, she stumbled upon the first valve, and began trying to turn the wheel to open it. Despite the amount of force she was putting on it, she could not get it to budge. Desperation threatened to overwhelm her, and she cried out in frustration as she lost her grip for the third time. Suddenly, she felt a presence behind her.

"Here, let me," said Jonah, as he stuck a rod in the spokes of the wheel and, using all of his strength, began turning it. She almost wept with relief. "Where else?" he asked, and she pointed to the next valve.

Bit by bit, they made their way through the maze of pipelines, opening several valves and dodging burst pipes along the way. After the last valve was opened, they turned around to leave the affected area, when suddenly a bruised and bloodied worker stumbled toward them.

"Please! You have to help my friend - he's trapped!" The worker pointed back toward the source of the explosion, then collapsed.

Jonah helped him up and looked at Thera. "Do you think you can get him out of here?"

"Jonah, no. You can't! That section is still unstable. Any number of individual lines back there could still rupture." She was pleading with him, even as he passed the injured worker to her. "Jonah!" she yelled after him, but he just gave her one last long look and took off into the steam.

Cursing under her breath, she began moving out of the damaged section of the plant with the barely conscious man in tow. After several minutes, they emerged into what looked like a battlefield. Injured workers were everywhere, some crying or moaning in pain, while others were far too still. The small medical staff was clearly overwhelmed, though they were doing their best. A handful of others were trying to help in any way they could.

Someone took the injured worker from her, as Thera stood staring, shocked at the scene before her. A series of small explosions shook her from her reverie. Several people screamed, but the explosions stopped almost as soon as they started. Thera paled as she realized where they must have originated. "Jonah," she whispered in horror.

Desperately, she watched the steam continuing to roll out of the damaged area of the plant, looking for any sign of him. As the minutes ticked by, she felt the knot in her stomach tighten. It occurred to her that she had no desire to live in a world that didn't include him. She closed her eyes as the magnitude of that realization washed over her.

Just as she thought she might collapse herself, a lone figure emerged from the wreckage. "Jonah!" she yelled in relief and ran toward him, throwing her arms around him. He winced in pain. She pulled back to look at him and saw that his expression was steely. "Where's the other worker?" she asked, though she was afraid she already knew.

"He didn't make it," he said, before walking off.

Thera looked down at her hand and saw that it was covered in blood. She ran to catch up to him and noticed for the first time a large and weeping burn covering his left bicep. Quickly, she grabbed a tube of antibiotic ointment and some gauze bandages from a nearby medical station. "You need to treat that," she said, trying to catch up to him. Still, he didn't stop. "Jonah, your arm..."

"Not here," he said tersely, as he continued to walk away.

She reluctantly followed him through several twists and turns, winding up finally in a little utilized area of the plant. With one look over his shoulder at her, Jonah squeezed between two parallel pipes placed about a foot apart. Thera hesitated for only a moment before following him through the narrow opening. Once inside, she was startled to find an open space, just large enough to fit the two of them comfortably. A blanket and pillow were thrown on the floor, and it dawned on her that this must have been where he'd spent the last two nights.

"What is this place?" she asked in a low voice.

He shrugged. "A place to get away."

Thera looked around the small space and gestured to a narrow ledge along the back wall. "Sit up here," she directed. He did as he was told. Carefully, she removed his jacket and slowly peeled away what was left of his burned shirt. She gasped when she saw the raw skin on his left bicep.

An irrational anger took hold of her. "Damn it, Jonah. You've really hurt your arm." She began smearing some of the ointment on his burned skin. "What the hell were you thinking?" He flinched when she touched his arm, but she paid no attention, continuing her rant. "It was blind luck that you didn't die in there." She pulled apart the gauze bandage with more force than was really necessary, and still he sat there, simply watching her. "Just had to be the hero, didn't you?" she muttered as she dressed the wound.

He let out a grunt of pain when the gauze touched his sensitive skin. He grasped her hand in mid air, but undaunted, she ripped it away then finished wrapping his wound. She immediately began packing up the medical supplies. "It was a foolish risk, Jonah!" she exclaimed as she vigorously bunched up the remaining gauze. She wanted him to argue with her, anything to keep her from facing the depth of her emotions, but still he sat there, watching her calmly. "You could have died!" she said angrily, but the tears that she had been trying to prevent welled up unexpectedly. She looked down at her hands, all the fight leaving her at once. "I thought you died," she whispered.

Without a word, Jonah gently cupped her cheek with his hand. She raised her eyes to his and was instantly drawn into a memory so vivid it made her breath catch. They were standing just inches apart yet couldn't touch each other, an impenetrable blue light separating them. She knew she was about to die, and so did he. Fear, desperation, and unrequited love were openly displayed on his features, just as they were on hers. As she gazed into his eyes, she realized with painful clarity that he was never going to leave her, not even in death.

Unable to withstand the intensity of the vision, Thera looked away. Her tears were falling freely now, but Jonah placed both hands on her face, calming her as he wiped away the wetness on her cheeks with his thumbs. Still, he didn't say anything but simply waited patiently for her to give him some sign of where she wanted this to go. While he needed her desperately, he couldn't bear to be rejected again.

She finally brought her eyes back up to his and saw the same raw emotion reflected there as in her vision. Her heart leapt into her throat. She didn't know who they were or what past they had shared, but she was certain they were meant for each other. Without conscious thought, she grabbed his face and pulled it to hers, her lips meeting his with an unfettered passion that belied their seemingly brief time together.

That was all it took for the dam that he'd been barely holding back to break. In one move, he slid off the ledge and brought his hands around her back, pulling her firmly to him. His prior restraint now forgotten, he took control, capturing her mouth with his, demanding entrance. She opened to him without hesitation. Her body was liquid against his, molded to every inch of him, and he knew then that anything he ever wanted she was more than willing to give.

He pushed her against the wall and in his haste to touch her bare skin fumbled awkwardly with the remainder of their clothes until the heavy garments finally fell to the floor. Then his hands and mouth were everywhere, and she whimpered involuntarily as his soft and deliberate caresses set her body on fire. Trailing kisses down the long column of her neck, he lifted her up and moaned her name as he positioned himself more intimately against her.

The warning voice in Thera's mind sounded one last time, but she silenced it instantly. The time for hesitation and doubt was over. All she wanted was to give herself to him completely and for him take her, body and soul.

He was more than happy to oblige.


	6. Chapter 6

Quite a bit of snow had fallen throughout the day, so by the time Sam finally let herself into her house near midnight, the landscape was covered in a blanket of white that reflected the pale light of a half moon. It was both beautiful and cold, and Sam couldn't help but wish once again for the warmth of an open brazier.

Her house was almost as cold inside as it was out, and she made her way quickly to the thermostat to turn up the heat. For some reason, she had chosen to leave the lights off. Part of her wondered if it wasn't because she didn't want to face the fact that the life she had been living for more than two weeks didn't exist, that she didn't reside with hundreds of people in a thermal plant under the ice but here, in this house. Alone.

She walked into the kitchen to get a glass of water. As she stood at her kitchen sink, she thought back over the events of the last 24 hours. In one day, her entire world had changed, quite literally. Things had slowed down considerably, though, once they had returned to the SGC. It had taken a long time, but Janet had finally given them medical clearance, and for that she realized she should be grateful. Hammond had likewise taken pity on them and postponed the debrief until 0800 the next morning. He had ordered them all to go home and rest. Unfortunately, he had also mentioned something about appointments with MacKenzie.

She didn't know how long she'd been staring out of her kitchen window, when suddenly she heard a knock at the door. She closed her eyes. Only one person would come by her house at this hour.

Sam opened the door to find her commanding officer standing on her front porch, hands in his jeans pockets, handsome as ever. It always disarmed her to see him in his civvies; it reminded her that they had lives outside of the SGC, even if they didn't spend much time enjoying them.

He looked at her expectantly. "Can I come in?" She opened the door a little wider, and he moved into her dark foyer. She shut the door and turned to face him, trying to keep her expression neutral. "How are you doing?" he asked, his concern evident.

She shrugged. "Fine, sir."

He blew out a large breath. "Sam..." he started, clearly unpersuaded by her act.

"How do you think I'm doing, Jack?" she snapped, though she didn't know why she was suddenly angry.

But he didn't rise to the bait. "Well, if it's anything like me, not well," he said simply. He sighed. "Listen, what you said to Fraiser...you didn't tell her about us."

"No," she confirmed.

"I just wanted to let you know that I backed you up. I assumed that was what you wanted."

His voice was almost wistful, and it seemed to Sam that maybe he wished she had confessed everything to Janet. But he couldn't possibly want to deal with the fallout, could he?

"If she knew, we wouldn't be able to stay on SG-1 together, right?"

"That's right," he said slowly.

"So we really didn't have a choice, did we?"

Jack didn't say anything for a moment, and when he finally spoke, his voice was soft. "There's always a choice, Sam."

Her anger flared. "Is there, Jack? So we admit to being together and then what? Besides confirming every rumor there's ever been about the two of us." It wasn't fair that he expected her to choose, that she would take all of the responsibility for the consequences of their actions. "Tell me, Jack, are you willing to give up SG-1? Could you sit back and watch me go through the 'gate without you? Because I'm not sure I could watch you do it without me."

"I don't know," he answered honestly.

She closed her eyes. He didn't deserve her ire. He was just as much a victim of the situation as she was. Tears welled up in her eyes, and her voice quivered with barely restrained emotion. "Those people we were - Jonah, Thera. They weren't real."

"No."

Sam was quiet for a long time, refusing to meet his gaze. She was working up the courage to pose the question she really wanted ask. Finally she looked directly at him. "What about their feelings?" she asked softly. "Were those real?"

Jack stared at the floor, trying to figure out whether it would make things better or worse to tell her the truth. He'd lied to himself about their relationship so often over the years, it had become second nature. But somehow it didn't seem right to lie to her, especially not now.

"They were real," he said quietly. "At least they were for me." He paused and looked her straight in the eye. "Every last one of the them," he finished, punctuating each syllable with his voice breaking a bit on the final word.

She nodded and felt the tears she could no longer hold back begin to make their way down her cheeks. "Me too," she whispered.

Jack gathered her into his arms and held on as tightly as he could. Sam put her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes, letting the tears come.

Outside the window, the snow began to fall once again.

oOoOoOo

_1 Day Earlier_

Jonah lowered his head and placed a gentle, lingering kiss on Thera's lips, relishing the feeling of her fingers running up and down his spine as she lay beneath him. He let out a contented sigh and rolled over onto his back, pulling her to him. She snuggled into his side and laid her head on his chest.

Over the past few days, they had made good use of the space Jonah had found, spending most of their free time there. It was surprisingly private and cozy, as it was located behind at least two braziers that gave the area a warm glow and kept them comfortable despite their habitual lack of clothing.

As Thera relaxed into Jonah's embrace, she felt her earlier euphoria morph into a profound sense of serenity. She smiled as she listened to his rapid heartbeat begin to slow. He planted another kiss on top of her head and threaded his fingers through her hair. In response, she began drawing lazy patterns on his chest.

Her hand drifted lower, and he let out a deep chuckle. "You're going to have to give me a few minutes, Thera. I'm not as young as I used to be." She let out a soft snort by way of reply. "Hey, no giggling," he said quietly, giving her a squeeze.

Instantly, visions of an ice cave sprang to mind, the large ring from her dreams standing upright in the background. Thera grasped at the vision, but all she could remember was extreme cold, a paralyzing sense of despair, and the need to hold Jonah to her as tightly as possible.

Mentally, she shook her head. It must have been another dream. She was holding Jonah, but they were here in the thermal plant, not a cave, and she was both warm and happy. Still, the vision disturbed her, and she thought back on their earlier conversation with Karlan. "Jonah?"

"Hmmm?" he replied sleepily.

"I've been thinking about Karlan..."

He was quiet for a minute before responding. "Well, that's...disappointing."

She let out a small laugh and nuzzled his neck. "No, I mean, about what he said. About our memories from another life coming to the surface."

"Forget about Karlan," he said dismissively. "He's a nut job."

Thera wasn't so sure. "You haven't had a few memories you can't explain?"

He sighed. "Maybe a few. What are you worried about?"

"What if...what if we really are completely different people? What if we have other lives where we don't know each other..."

"Oh, we know each other," he replied definitively.

Like him, that much she knew was certain. "Okay," she replied, warming to her subject. "What if we don't like each other? What if you can't stand me?"

She felt him smile. "Listen, Thera, regardless of what might happen, I know at least one thing that's never going to change."

"What's that?" she asked, genuinely curious.

He was quiet for so long, Thera thought he'd fallen asleep. But then he spoke, and his words caused her breath to catch. "I love you," he said softly.

Thera raised up on her elbows, so that she could see his face, and when she looked into his eyes, she knew that what he said was true. Her heart swelled with joy. "I love you, too," she whispered. Jonah kissed her tenderly, and she lay back down with his arms wrapped tightly around her.

Before long, they drifted off to sleep, warmed by the soft glow of the braziers and confident in the knowledge that, despite whatever might happen, they would always be together.

The End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N -- This may be the most angst-filled story I've ever written, but after seeing the look on our favorite couple's faces at the end of BTS, I just couldn't do it any other way. For any who are interested, I've written a sequel entitled Flight of Osiris, which should be up shortly. In the meantime, thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed the story!


End file.
